Pole



May 18 1926.

H. ETHERIDGE POLE Filed August 13. 1924 service Patented May 18, 192%.

U a p 3 T it. T

rote.

Application filed. August 13, 1924.' Serial No. 731,750.

My invention relates to the improvement of wooden poles, such as are nowin common use for the support of overhead wires, electrical conductors,lights and the like.

In the present practice the wooden butts of such poles are inserted inholes in the ground, and the useful life of such poles is generallymeasured by the time required for the rotting off of thesubterraneanportion of the pole. and a sound pole substituted. Where theremoved pole is a long one, its rotted butt may be sawed off and thepole reused where a less elevation of the supported structure isrequired, but replacement because of rotting is a very large item ofexpense to public corporations. Furthermore such rotting frequentlyremains unnoticed until an accident occurs.

In some cases the holes have been enlarged and sleeves of concrete castabout the butts ofthe poles, but even this does not cure the tendency torot but simply delays the inevitable deterioration of the poles, for thewood enclosed within the sleeves and protruding below the same willcontinue to rot.

The object which I have in view is the entire elimination of the dangerof rotting, and

I accomplish this purpose by the use of a composite pole having anaerial portion of wood and a butt of reinforced concrete, which latteris inserted in the ground. The

wooden portion of the pole 18 preferably de tachably connected to thereinforced concrete butt, so that quantities and preferably in severalsizes and attached as needed to the wooden poles when poles are to beerected.

I have also invented a new and improved reinforced concrete butt forwooden poles, which may be readily attached to and detached from thelatter and which will function with the wooden or aerial portion of thepole to provide an integral pole structure of great strength andlongevity of service.

The juncture between the concrete. butt and the wooden, aerial portionof the combination pole is preferably above the ground when the pole iserected, thus raising the wood above attack by dampness, and theprotruding top of the butt is preferably provided with a metallicprotection or armor to prevent injury to the concrete by impact, as byVehicle wheels striking the butt.

I have also invented a new and improved metal reinforcement for theconcrete butt.

at present known to Then the pole must be removed the latter may be madein Other novel features of'construction, and" also of arrangement ofparts will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, which are however not intended to limitthe scope of my present invention but simply to illustrate the bestembodiment of its principles me, Fig. 1 is a broken elevation showingone of my composite poles; Fig. 2 is an enlargedplan View of thereinforced butt with the wooden pole removed; Fig. 3 is an elevation ofthe metallic members of the butt as they appear before the concrete ispoured; Fig. 4; is a broken view similar to Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is aperspective view of the pole and butt assembled.

The following is a detailed description of the drawings.

Referring first to Fig. 1, A represents the wooden upper or aerialportion of the combination pole and B its reinforced concrete butt. Thebutt is embedded in the ground anchorage to the combination pole andpreferably protrudes therefromfor siX or eight inches. Thus I haveroughly indicated the ground level by the dotted line a.-a in Fig. 1.The upper end and protected by a circumferentially disposed metal collarC which protects the top of the butt against spawling and otherdisintegration which might result from impacts, such as from vehiclewheels. The top 1 of the butt is flat and is flush with the top of thecollar C. The collar is anchored in place to the concrete by thechord-li e metal struts 2 which have their ends welded or riveted inholes in the collar and which are sufficiently below the top of thecollar to be materially embedded in the concrete.

The lower end of the wooden pole A rests on the top 1 of the butt B, andthe pole A. is attached to the butt in such a manner that the butt maybe. readily secured to the wooden pole or be detached therefrom.

Thus I prefer to use a pair of flat metal bars D whose lower ends arepermanently embedded in theconcrete of the butt B, and which extendvertically from the top 1 of said butt, being disposed approximatelyninety degrees apart relative to the axis of the butt and in planeswhich form substantially a right angle with each other.

The butt is adjusted to the wooden pole, substantially as shown in Fig.1 and bolts 3 are inserted through holes 4: in the bars of thebutt isarmoured D and through holes 5 bored through the wooden pole, and nutsand washers are placed on the ends of the bolts which protrude from thepole A. The nuts are then tightened and the pole A and butt B are thusunited together, and the composite pole is ready for erection. The holes5 are oppositely inclined so that the adjacent bolts '3 will notinterfere.

It is-cvident that the two bars D, being disposed at right angles toeachother define an angle-shape whose sides are mechanically completed whenthe pole is bolted in place. This shape is recognized as the strongestand stifi'est of structural shapes. As the greatest widths of the barsare opposed at right angles to each other, each bar successfully assumesand resists the strains which the other bar is less able to resist.

The butt B is of concrete reinforced by metal, and is shown as of thefollowing preferred construction. In its metallic skeleton, E representsa plurality of metal anchors whichare disposed longitudinally of thebutt and which are first fixed in proper position relative to each otherby means of suitable metallic connections. Thus I may use for thispurpose metal annuli F to which the anchors are spot welded, riveted orotherwise suitably attached. Thus in Figs. 1 and 3 I show one of saidannuli adjacent to either end of the anchors, thus holding the same inproper spaced relation to each other. I have shown the skeleton in thisform as tapering toward its lower end, thus providing for a downwardlytapering butt, but if desired the skeleton may be of constant diameter,thus providing for a cylindrical butt.

In Fig. 2 I indicate by the cylindraceous, dotted lines 6 and bdiflerent diameters of wooden pole mounted on the same size of butt, theuse of the two bars D and the positioning thereof at about ninetydegrees apart permitting a relatively large range of pole sizes to beaccommodated with one size of butt. This enables me to standardize thebutts in a small number, say two or three sizes, which will betweenthenrfit the usual ranges of diameters in wooden poles which areobtainable.

It is evident that my improved reinforced concrete pole butt is notsusceptible to rotting and is practically indestructible. The attachmentof the wooden or aerial portion of the pole to the butt is such thatthey are united into a composite structure with all the strength of theconventional wooden pole. In case a pole breaks or is otherwise renderedunserviceablc, it may be detached lron its butt and a new polesubstituted.

It is apparent that my invention will so complish a great advance inpole usage, since the life of a wooden pole will be greatly prolongedand its reliability much increased. My improved reinforced concrete buttis inexpensive in the material required, and the time andlabor-necessary for its manufacture are relatively small.

That I desire to claim is 1. In a composite pole for the purposesdescribed, the combination with a wooden pole which forms the aerialportion or the structure, of a concrete butt adapted to be embedded inthe ground and upon which the wooden pole is mounted, and a pair ormetal bars having their lower ends embedded in the concrete andextending upwardly from the butt, said bars being disposed in verticalplanes at substantially right angles to eachother, the butt end oi thewooden pole occupying the angle dciincd by the bars and being attachedthereto, the two bars providing the anchorage ot' the wooden-pole to thebutt.

In a composite pole for the purpose described, the combination with awooden pole'which forms the aerial portion of the structure, oi aconcrete butt adapted to be embedded in the ground and upon which thewooden pole is'niounted, and a pair of flat metal bars having theirlower ends enibeddcd in the concrete and extending upwardly from thebutt, said bars being d1s posed with their greater widths in verticalplanes atsubstantially right angles to each other, the butt end of thewooden pole occupying the angle defined by the bars and being attachedthereto, the two bars providing the anchorage of the wooden pole to thebutt.

3. In a composite pole for the purposes described, the combination witha wooden pole which forms the aerial portion of the structure, of aconcrete butt adapted to be embedded in the ground and upon which thewooden pole is mounted, a pair of metal bars having their lower endsembedded in the concrete and extending upwardly from the butt, said barsbeing disposed in vertical planes at substantially rightangles to eachother, the butt end of the wooden pole occupying the angle defined bythe bars, the two bars providing the anchorage oi the wooden pole to thebutt, and stay-bolts eonnectingsaid wooden pole to said bars. said staybolts bein disposed at right angles to each other. i

4:. In a composite pole for the purposes described, the combination witha wooden pole which forms the aerial portion of the structure of aconcrete butt adapted to be embedded in the ground and upon which thewooden pole is mounted, a pair of fiat "'ietal bars having their lowerends embedded in the concrete and extending upwardly from the butt, saidbars being disposed with their greater widths in vertical planes atsubstantially right angles to each other, the butt end of the woodenpole 00- cupying the angle defined by the bars, the two bars providingthe anchorage of the wooden pole to the butt, and stay-bolts connectingsaid Wooden pole to said bars, said stay bolts being disposed at rightangles to each other.

5. A concrete pole butt having protruding from its top a pair of metalpole anchoring bars, said bars being disposed in planes at substantiallyright angles to each other so as to define the angle Which is'to be 00-cupied by the pole, and said bars forming the means for connecting thepole to the butt.

6. A concrete pole butt having protruding from its upper end a pair offlat metal pole anchoring bars, the greater Widths of said bars beingdisposed in planes substantially at right angles to each other, and saidbars forming the means for connecting the butt to the pole and the poleoccupying the angle defined by the bars.

HARRY ETHERIDGE.

